Motor-vehicle.



G. E. WHITNEY.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

(Application filed m 4, 1900.

(No Model.)

Patented July 3, I900.

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

\ I v I I I y I I I l I I I I 1 1 1 Patented July 3, I900.

e. E. WHIT N EY. MOTOR VEHICLE.

(Application filed May 4, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

"m: NORRIS PETERS c0. morauniu. WASWNGTON, II, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. WHITNEY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE WHITNEYMOTOR WAGON COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

oro R-VEZHIC LE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 652,944, dated July 3,1900.

Original application filed April 30, 1897, Serial No. 634,514. Dividedand this application filed May 4, 1900. Serial No.

15,450. (No moan.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. WHITNEY, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massa ohusetts,have invented an Improvement in Motor-Vehicles, of which the followingdescription, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecification, like letters on the drawings representing like, parts.

This invention relates to motor-vehicles wherein the motive power iscarried by the vehicle itself; and this application is a division ofanother application, Serial No. 634,514, filed by me the 30th day ofApril, 1897. In said application my invention is shown in connectionwith a steam-motor, though not restricted thereto; but herein I have setforth certain features of construction, arrangement, and operationwhereby a motorvehicle actuated by steam as the motive power is freedfrom Various annoying and highly-objectionable features and theoperation of the vehicle facilitated and made more convenient.

The engine and boiler herein shown are, so far as certain features areconcerned, de-

scribed and illustrated in United States-Fab,

ent No. 601,218, dated March 22, 1898, as in the parent applicationhereof; but my present invention is not restricted to such form ofengine and boiler, as any other suitable type may be used, if desired,as will more fully appear hereinafter.

The various novel features of my invention will be fully described inthe specification and particularly pointed out in the following claims.a

Figure 1, in side elevation, represents a motor-vehicle embodying mypresent inven-' The frame of the vehicle, including the side bars a, therear or driven shaft 12 for the propelling-wheels Bfl the front orsteering wheels 0*, each of which is mounted on aspindle c, pivotallyconnected with the front axle c, and the steering mechanism operativelyconnected with the spindles c and including a steering-head h may be ofany suitable or desired construction, such parts herein being shownsubstantially as in the parent application hereof.

The body F is hung at its front end on a suitable transverse spring S,mounted on the frame, and at its back the body is supported on sidesprings S and S which are suitably secured to the frame, so that thebody is yieldingly connected with the main frame or running-gear much asin an ordinary vehicle, providing for springiness and ease of motion inriding.

The motor M, mounted on the side of a boiler M and having a hood orjacket 'M surrounding the cylinders and valve-chests, and the generalconstruction and arrangement of the parts of the boiler and motor may beand are substantially as shown and described in my United States Patentreferred to, and as in the parent application the side bars f of thebody (see Fig. 3) are provided with inwardly-extended braces f which arerigidly secured to a suitable U-shaped support-f upon which rests theboiler M, together with the engine, shown as attached to the boiler.

A sprocket-chain M is herein shown forming a flexible power-transmittingconnection between a sprocket-wheel B on the driven shaft b and asprocket-wheel m on the main or prime drive-shaft of the motor.

The employment of a steam-motor necessitates provision for protectingthe occupants from the heat and also requires certain features ofconstruction and arrangement whereby the fuel and water canbeconveniently carried and the engine manipulated readily when starting upfor a run. I have herein economized space and provided for protectionfrom heat by raising the central portion F of the body to sustain theseat F, the space beneath accommodating the engine and'boiler,

and between the bottom of the seat and the boiler I interpose anair-circulating passage g, open at its upper rear end at g, which, itwill be noticed, is back of the seat and extending below the floor f ina flaring mouth g across the body. This passage is thus open to thecirculation of air, which when the vehicle is running rushes into themouth 9 passing up in front of and over the engine and boiler and out atthe exit 9, a current or stream of fresh air being interposed betweenthe occupants of the seat and the motive power. A water-jacket alsosurrounds the upper part of and extends above the boiler and isconnected by a pipe 7;, Fig. 1, with the main water-tank K, the shape ofthe latter in plan being best shown in Fig. 3 branching at the front endto partly embrace the boiler. The greater part of the boot F of the bodyis thus occupied by the tank K, and water is fed to the boiler throughpipe 70 from the jacket 7.: by means of a pump 70 driven by the engineand having a suction 70 leading to the jacket, so that the feed-water iswarmed in the jacket before reaching the boiler, the feedpipe k runningup over the jacket and down the other side to the lower end of theboiler, such arrangement utilizing all of the availablespaee in thevehicle-body for transporting a large water-supply.

The motor herein shown is run by liquid fuel-such as naphtha, kerosene,&c.and, referring to Figs. 1 and 3, the fuel-tank is shown as a cylinderP, supported in seats 1) within the water-tank and lying transverselythereof and more or less completely submerged by the water, according tothe quantity thereof in the tank K. An inlet 19, (see Fig. 1,) closed inany suitable manner, is accessible from the top of the water-tank, bywhich inlet the fuel tank or receptacle P is filled, while a pipe 19leads from the latter through the water and out of the water-tank to afuel-feed regulator P of any suitable construction, shown as mounted onthe combustion-chamber M of the boiler, whereby the supply of fuel tothe furnace in said chamber is controlled both automatically and at willby the operator. I thus locate the supply of inflammable fuel as faraspossible from the furnace, and such supply is more or less surrounded bywater, the great body of water being interposed between the fuel-tank Pand the boiler, reducing any possible danger to a minimum.

The liquid-fuel tank may be subjected to pressure from within, and tobest sustain such pressure the tank P is preferably made cylindrical inshape. By inserting this cylinder in the water-tank, which, as shown,occupies practically the entire boot, valuable water-space is therebygained to an extent that would not be possible were the f uel-tankotherwise located.

In order that the boiler may be filled by hand after blowing off or whenstarting up the apparatus, I provide apump P (see Fig.

3,) beneath the floor f of the body,with a handplunger p at the front, asuction-pipe 19 connecting with tank K, while the delivery-pipe 135leads to the boiler. Such connection may be directly with the boiler orinto the feedpipe 70 the pipe 19 being broken off short in Fig. 1 toavoid confusion. A nozzle 10, provided with a valve 13 is inserted inthe suc- ,tion 12 and by attachingahose to the nozzle, opening valve pand closing a valve 19 in the pump delivery 19 water may be pumped froma trough, bucket, or other source into the water-tank K. When theforce-pump 70 is in operation, the valve 19 is shut, and a valve 29shuts off the tank K from the pump P when desired. The exhaust-steampasses from the engine by a pipe 25, Fig. 2, into a sound-muifler T anddischarging by a pipe i into the upper end of the downturned flue T forthe products of combustion, which latter, with the steam particles, passout from the lower end of the flue below the bottom of the Vehicle-body,so that the occupants will not be annoyed by any smell or heat which maybe present. Preferably the end of the pipe t which enters the flue T isdownturned (see dotted lines, Fig. 2,) to direct the escaping steamdownward. I have found in practice that it is difficult with adownturned flue, as T, to effect a draft and get up steam rapidly fromcold Water when the fire is first lighted, and I have provided a verysimple and effective remedy therefor. The hood or cap M of the boiler,with which the flue T communicates, is provided with an upper outlet,shown as a short upturned flue i which, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,passes up through the water-jacket to the air-space below the seat F andwhich flue is accessible through a door f below the said seat, the saiddoor being normally covered by the seatcushion.

It will be manifest that when raising steam the updraft can be utilized,the heated products of combustion passing from the hood or cap M upthrough the outlet or flue i into the passage g and from the outlet gthereof, or if the doorf be opened the gaseous products can escapetherethrough.

When firing up, a telescopic extension i (see dotted lines in Fig. 2)can be applied to the upturned flue, thus lengthening the same at willto produce a greater draft; but this is not an essential feature. Aftersteam has been raised the downturned flue T, with the aid of a steam-jettherein, will provide ample draft, and when running it will beremembered that the exhaust-steam opens into the downturned flue andmaintains the draft.

I have shown in Fig. 1 a removable plug or damper 1 which can beinserted in the outlet or flue t to close the same, it being of coursenecessary to lift the seat-cushion and open the door f 30 in theconstruction and arrangement herein shown to remove or replace the plug,and it will be manifest that the plug can be inserted after steam israised and the occasion for the updraft has passed, as shown in Fig. 2.

When using the downdraft, should the flue t be open air will be drawntherethrough into the hood and discharged with the products ofcombustion and exhaust-steam through the downturned flue T, andconsquently no undue effects will result.

My invention it not restricted to the precise construction andarrangement herein shown and described, as the same may be modifiedwithout departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a motor-vehicle, a steam-boiler, a Water-jacket around the upperportion thereof, the vehicle-seat above said jacket, a watersupplyreceptacle, and a pump adapted to draw the water from said receptaclethrough said jacket and to pump it into the boiler, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a motor-vehicle, the body having an extended boot, a boilersupported on the body, a water-tank in the boot, branched to partiallyembrace the boiler, a connected waterjacket inclosingthe upper part ofthe boiler, and a feed-pipe from the jacket to the boiler, substantiallyas described.

3. In a motor-vehicle, the body having an extended boot, a boilersupported on the body, a water-tank in the boot, branched to partiallyembrace the boiler, a connected waterjacket inclosing the upper part ofthe boiler, a feed-pipe from the jacket to the boiler, and a fuel-tankwithin the water-tank, connected with the boiler-furnace, substantiallyas described.

4. In a motor-vehicle, the body having a seat, a steam-generatorsupported on the body beneath the seat and having a downturnedescape-flue to convey the products of combustion away from the proximityof the seat, an auxiliary upturned flue communicating with thegenerator, an open-ended air-passage extending up in front of thegenerator and between the latter and the seat, to protect the occupantsof the vehicle, said upturned flue intersecting the passage beneath theseat, an engine adjacent the generator, and beneath the seat, and meansto induce draft by the introduction of steam in the downturned-flueafter steam has been raised in the generator.

5. In a motor-vehicle, a body having a seat,

a steam-generator having a downturned escape-flue to convey the productsof combustion away from the proximity of the seat, an auxiliary upperoutlet or flue communicating with the generator, an engine adjacent thesaid generator, both engine and generator being mounted on the bodybeneath the seat and substantially concealed by the seat and body, andmeans to induce draft by the introduction of steam in the downturnedflue after steam has been raised in the generator.

6. In a motor-vehicle, a body having a seat, a boiler carried on thebody beneath the seat and having a hood and a downturned escapefiue,combined with an auxiliary upturned flue or outlet, and means to closethe auxiliary flue.

7. In a motor-vehicle, a body having a seat, a boiler carried on thebody beneath said seat and having a hood and a downturned escapeflue,combined with an auxiliary upturned flue extended through the seat and adamper to close the auxiliary flue below the seat, substantially asdescribed.

8. In a motor-vehicle, a body havinga seat, a boiler carried on the bodybeneath said seat and having a hood and a downturned escapeflue,combined with an auxiliary upturned flue extended through the seat, atelescopic extension for said auxiliary flue, and a damper to close theauxiliary flue below the seat, substantially as described.

9. In a motor-vehicle, the body having a seat, a boiler carried by thebody beneath the seat and having a hood and a communicating downturnedescape-flue to effect the discharge of the products of combustion at ornear the lower end of the boiler, and an upper draftoutlet for the hood,opening below the seat.

10. In a motor-vehicle, the body having a seat, a boiler carried by thebody beneath said seat and having a hood and a downturned escape-flue,combined with an auxiliary flue opening beneath the seat, an extensionattachable to said flue when in use, and a damper to close the auxiliaryflue when not in use, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE E. WHITNEY.

